The Castle's Secret
by Bluedolphz
Summary: As a descendent of one of the school's founders, Kyna had always waited eagerly to start at Hogwarts. Yet her first year seems to go downhill, as her father ended up in the hospital the previous spring. As she tries to uncover what happened to her dad, she also uncovers that there might be a secret from her mom's side too, a side she knows little about.
1. Prologue: A Matter to Discuss

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or Harry Potter. **

_Prologue: A Matter to Discuss _

Near London, in a magnificent mansion, two men were speaking in soft voices. Now, this mansion belonged to neither of the men, but to the subject that the two men discussed with urgency. The older of the men talked the more out of the two, as he appeared to be telling a depressing story. Dressed in long, sky blue robes, he had silver hair and a silver beard, both long enough to tuck into his belt. Half-moon spectacles rested in front of blue eyes. The other man also had on robes, though he was pudgy and had short, gray hair. After the first man finished his story, the two fell into astonished silence. The second man broke this silence first.

"And you still haven't gotten to the bottom of this?" Cornelius Fudge asked.

"No, though I have some lead. Such an act against a teacher-" Albus Dumbledore replied.

"Who was also a member of the ministry, nonetheless!" Fudge exclaimed.

"I've never seen it happen before."

"Poor Robert. Well, it appears we no longer have our wonderful head of the education department, and you'll need another teacher."

"We will deal with that in time. At the moment, we have more pressing matters to face." Fudge leaned forward.

"Like what? He's currently at St. Mungos, getting the best care he can get. I see no reason we shouldn't move on into what _we _need."

"What about his daughter? Surely you don't wish to ignore the fact that she now needs a place to stay."

"Of course not! I just… did not know what to do about that matter. Uh, how long are we thinking? Robert's recovery won't be that long, will it?"

"We do not know. All that is certain is that he won't be able to return home until at least the holidays. In the fall, of course, she'll be at school, but for the summer, somebody will have to take care of her."

"Of course!" Fudge hesitated, as if realizing something important. "Oh, what are we going to tell her? She'll be heartbroken. Her dad, knocked out like that! Nobody needs that right before summer! We cannot even tell her when he'll recover! Can we even tell her whether he'll live?"

"At the moment, it appears the odds are in Roberts favor, though, unfortunately, we are not sure. Whatever it was that took him out, it was powerful." Dumbledore answered, bowing his head. The two man had no idea what had taken Robert out, or any side effects that'll result from the cause of him being knocked out.

What they also didn't know was the reason behind the explosion that knocked out the poor man. They didn't know that this wasn't an accident. No knowledge was present about the danger somebody had just been dragged into.

They also didn't know that an eleven-year-old girl and her faithful house elf stood right outside the living room, hearing every word.


	2. Chapter 1: on the Express

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Percy Jackson and the Olympians. All rights to their respectful owners.**

**This takes place during the Sorcerer's Stone and six years before the Lightning Thief **

**Chapter One: On the Express**

Kyna Rowena Ravenclaw had never found anything special about being beautiful, despite the fact that she herself had often been considered beautiful. She didn't care how she looked, even if everybody else expected her too. Eleven-year-old girls - especially rich, blonde eleven-year-old girls - were expected to be girly. Yet on the first day of school, a time most girls would be particularly focusing on how they looked, Kyna spent the morning reading.

She had already dressed in "muggle clothes" – jeans and a comic book shirt – and spent a half hour reading before everybody else woke up. She would read anything she got her hands on. As a witch, she wasn't expected to enjoy muggle books, though she did enjoy them greatly. She enjoyed art from comic books, too, and often times tried to copy certain scenes. She also liked the creativity behind the superheroes a lot too.

She knew she should be re-checking her suitcase for everything, but she need to read. IT was the only working strategy lately for clearing her mind. Ever since the accident she hadn't been able to focus on anything.

Her suitcase laid on the floor next to her bed, all packed. Unfortunately, she had to sacrifice and not pack all of her books to fit in all of her school supplies. She did manage to fit in three or four books, along with her sketch book. Elegantly written across the front of her suitcase, in her father's handwriting, was her name.

Across the room, Grace slept fitfully. Kyna had been taken in by Grace's family when her father had been knocked out at his job. Kyna had been quite shocked when the Minister of Magic himself came to her door and told her almost nothing. She had taken to eavesdropping, a bad habit of hers, that night.

As lead of the education department, Mr. Ravenclaw had volunteered to teach at the local wizardry school – Hogwarts. Grace's mom, Mrs. Black, had taken over his position while he was gone, and continued to do so when he had mysteriously collapsed during one of his lessons. He had been taken to the hospital immediately, and his daughter and his house elf had been taken to Mrs. Black.

Ever since her father had been hospitalized – basically all summer – Mrs. Black had taken care of Kyna. The Ravenclaw's house elf, Hestia, had cleaned up the Black's house in return for keeping her and Kyna safe. Mrs. Black and her many daughters had helped her get school supplies, though Kyna insisted she paid for them with her own money. The Black's were near as rich as the Ravenclaws, so Kyna didn't like having them pay for her.

Grace and her sisters –Poppy, Hope, Rose, Lily, Daisy, Joy, Petunia, Iris, Lavender, Violet, and Faith – had been nothing but nice to Kyna. Daisy, who had just graduated Hogwarts, had given Kyna a rundown of the school layout. Poppy had given Kyna free candy from the sweet shop she owned, and Rose had enchanted all of Kyna's bookmarks to never fall out of her books. Despite that, Kyna found the noise in the house irritating, being used to the library-quiet of her house through the day and only the chatter of the dinner table and chess game in the evenings. She had taken to waking up early to read every morning for some quiet time.

Kyna read until fifteen minutes after everybody woke up before deciding that she needed breakfast. Her stomach rumbled, and she couldn't help but think about what she'd eat on a normal day. Hestia cooked that morning, so the difference wasn't in the food. Back home, Kyna and her father ate at a small, fancy table in the middle of the living room. The living was grand, with every wall covered with shelves of books, along with tables of books and fancy statues. Kyna's mom had given her father many swords, shields, bows and arrows, and spears – the fancy, artsy kind that had been made more for decoration more than use – and several of these presents had been stationed all over the living room.

The Black's living room looked a similar, except smaller and less crowded. The table had to be at least five times larger, since normally thirteen or fourteen girls sat at it. Now only Mrs. Black, Joy, Iris, Lavender, and Kyna occupied it. Hestia had cooked up quite a meal, and all five girls dug in greedily.

The Blacks had named their children well. All of them had been given names that made people think of good things, and the girls were all peppy and kind to everybody. All of them had auburn hair, and either crystal blue or gold-brown eyes. Joy, who was going into her seventh year at Hogwarts, had her hair in a bun. She wore a frilly white shirt with a gold symbol across the front. Her golden eyes matched the design, which looked like some sort of bird, beautifully. Iris had a headband made out purple flowers – no doubt irises – and her hair hung around her shoulders. She wore a purple shirt to match her headband. Lavender, Iris's twin, wore lavender. The twins were like that. Her hair was braided back with lavender tied to the bottom of the braid, and she had on an amethyst necklace that was slightly darker than the rest of her outfit. The twins were going into their fourth year.

The only fashion accessories Kyna wore was bracelets. Most of them her own cloth bracelets where she had cut spare fabric and weaved and tied some of the pretty pieces together. Sometimes she'd put a bead in the middle, and she often wore three or four on a wrist. She also had made a pretty rainbow necklace out of spare thread that she wore around her neck. Self-painted charms hung around the necklace - ravens and eagles mostly, since those were the Ravenclaw symbol. The eagle was more of a business symbol, while the raven was a more personal symbol.

Kyna spent another half hour reading before everybody was ready to go, and it was ten forty five before the Blacks left the house. The train for Hogwarts left at eleven. If she was with her dad, Kyna would've been arriving at the station at that time. It was ten fifty five by the time they arrived, which slightly annoyed Kyna. Her father had drilled into her a liking for being early.

The barrier between platform nine and was the secret entrance to nine and three quarters, where the Hogwarts express would take them to the school. To avoid confusion, the Blacks did it oldest to youngest. First went Joy, then Petunia; both raced through the barrier. Iris and Lavender took their time, leaning casually against the barrier until they fell through. Next came Violet, then Faith, and finally Kyna and Grace.

Kyna had seen the Hogwarts Express several times before, when she went with dad to work, yet she had never ridden in it. This being her first year at Hogwarts, she wanted nothing more than her father to give her an encouraging pat on the shoulder as she walked onto the train. Most of the compartments were filled by the time Kyna passed them. Grace and Faith went off to find the snack cart. She had hoped for privacy, something very lacking in the Blacks' house, and eventually she came to the end of the train to the only empty compartment.

She leaned against the wall for a minute, listening to the conversation on the platform. She caught glimpses of conversation:

"I've lost my …" did he say toe? Kyna didn't recognize the voice, nor the older female one the responded with a name, Neville maybe? The name must've been the boy's. A station guard yelled at a boy; Kyna didn't catch the name, though she decided to steer clear of the station guard the next time she used platform 9 ¾.

A group of boys stood near Kyna's compartment, and Kyna recognized Draco Malfoy's voice, since his dad had worked with Kyna's before. She recognized several others, too, from her dad's work; the Weasleys, the Bones, the list went on. She overheard troublemaker George Weasley saying:

"We'll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat." Kyna imagined five or six reasons he would say that.

Kyna decided to sit down when the whistle sounded and the train started to move. She almost pushed her suitcase into the overhead department before changing her mind. She needed her sketchbook, which she had placed in the easy-access front pocket of her suitcase. After pulling it out, along with another book for a desk and a quill, she took to writing.

When she couldn't get something out of her head, her father would tell her to write something down. Last night, she had dreamed something that had sounded familiar, but she didn't think to write it down until she sat there with nothing else to do.

At first, Kyna had thought it had been long. When she wrote it down, it only had six lines, with each pair of lines rhyming with each other. She knew she had heard this before, though she couldn't place it. It wasn't in her sketch book; she must've read it somewhere else. The format reminded Kyna of something, too, though she couldn't place it. She read something about this… it wasn't common though, not here. A foreign version of something, though she couldn't figure out what.

_A daughter shall be born when the wisest collide_

_ Her father sleeps where others have died_

_ The professor's lies will be bought by all but two_

_ While others will make lies out of what is true_

_ To a cat the mother's bird will be shown_

_ The castle's secret protected by more than stone_

While she understood none of it, the fifth line one the award for most confusing. Her quill hovered the page until she started to draw. She didn't recognize the design – a bird - until well into the drawing. Sometimes that happened to her. She normally could match up the drawing to a painting in a book, or a portrait lying around the house. This bird didn't have that familiar feel, though Kyna felt like the bird was important. The bird wasn't a raven or an eagle, though, so it wasn't a Ravenclaw symbol. She couldn't think of any other important birds.

She, of course, had an owl with her. Her father had gotten a barn owl – who she later had named Iris after the Greek goddess of communication and rainbows, since her dad's owl was named Hermes – for Kyna's birthday last September. At the moment Iris slept in her in cage, decorated with irises that Iris Black had decorated the cage with. Kyna had a feeling the irises were left over from the many that decorated Iris's room.

As she finished the background to the picture - which mainly consisted of spirals, leaves, and ellipses – her mind wandered to the last line. _The castle's secret… the castle's secret… _those lines repeated in her head. She wouldn't have given the line a second thought, except she liked castles. She couldn't help but rack her mind for every magical "secret" in castles she had read about. As about the twentieth came to mind, she decided that the words were nothing but a poem, that she had no doubt read somewhere. The Ravenclaws were known for their poetic touches, and several of them had written famous poems.

Flipping to a clean page, she started to sketch the first thing that came to her mind: the Hogwarts crest. Her house had been decorated with the crest, along with several paintings dedicated specifically to Rowena Ravenclaw. She knew the Hogwarts crest like the back of her hand.

Kyna didn't put her sketch book down until the snack cart rolled by. Kyna loved Cauldron Cakes and bought several, along with a piece of Drooble's Best Blowing Gum and a Pumpkin Pasty. As a tradition, she bought five chocolate frogs – her grandma had started a tradition of buying five chocolate frogs every time she traveled, and she had passed it down. Kyna collected the cards in an attempt to figure out which ones were most popular. She got Circe, Alberic Grunnion, Paracelsus, and two Merlins. She had already discovered Merlin, being the first wizard, was definitely the number one card found in the Chocolate Frogs.

While eating, Kyna had carelessly dropped her pencil onto the ground. She bent over to pick it up, but instead found herself face to face with a tarantula. Grabbing her pencil, which luckily had not fallen near the spider, she back away from it. She hated spiders. She grabbed her sketch book, and darted out the door.

She had not expected to bump into somebody right outside the door.


	3. Chapter 2: The Hat's Decision

**Chapter Two: The Hat's Decision **

"Oh! I'm sorry," Kyna told the boy she ran into. Slightly embarrassed, she bent down to pick up her sketchbook. She had clumsily dropped it when she collided with the boy.

"It's okay," The boy mumbled. Kyna estimated he was - along with the girl standing next to him –about her age, though she knew looks could be deceiving. The girl was already in her school robes. _I need to change into mine_, Kyna reminded herself.

"Is anyone looking for a tarantula? There's one in that compartment." Kyna told them, gesturing towards the door behind her. The two strangers shook their heads.

"We're looking for a toad." The girl clarified, with a bossy sort of voice. She had lots of bushy, brown hair.

"Oh, I haven't seen a toad." Kyna replied, "Where else have you looked?"

"Everywhere," The boy replied.

"Maybe you could help us? We're only first years, you see, and neither of us has been on this train before." The bushy-haired girl suggested.

"I'm a first year, too, but I've been on the train before." Kyna replied, "I'm Kyna, by the way." She held her hand out.

"Hermione Granger. This is Neville," The bushy-haired girl took Kyna's hand, followed by Neville.

"Nice to meet you."

Knowing the train better than the other two, Kyna helped Neville search for his toad. Along the way, Kyna and Hermione started to talk, mostly about school. Hermione had come from a family of muggles, and was interested in the way the school worked. Hermione had learned a lot from the textbooks, but she still had a lot of questions.

"Out of the houses, which ones the best?" Hermione asked. Kyna had to bite her lip for a moment to keep from replying with Ravenclaw.

"Depends. I honestly have never liked anybody who had gotten into Slytherin. Ravenclaw's my personal favorite, that's the house for everybody who is serious about learning. Hufflepuff is the simplest of the houses. It's for anybody. Gryffindor's for the brave, or basically the heroes. Dumbledore, the headmaster, was in it. Some of the best came out of Gryffindor, though almost every smart wizard – besides Dumbledore – was in Ravenclaw." Kyna explained as they reached another compartment. The door slid open to reveal two young boys, one with his wand raised.

The one with his wand raised was Ron Weasley; the other Kyna didn't recognize. He had dark, messy hair, and glasses.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," Hermione started.

"We've already told him we haven't seen it," Ron replied. Her attention parted, though, when she saw the wand in Ron's hand.

"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then." She exclaimed, sitting down.

"Er- all right." Ran cleared his throat.

"_Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, _

_ Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow." _He waved his wand, but nothing happened.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" Kyna asked.

"Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard – I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough – I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?" Hermione added, saying all of it fast. Ron and the boy with the glasses both looked quite stunned. Kyna was sure Hermione was the only other one who had learned all of the course books by heart, and Kyna had only done it out of boredom.

"I'm Ron Weasley." Ron muttered.

"Harry Potter," The other boy said. Kyna instantly recognized that name, but Hermione started talking first.

"Are you really?" I know all about you, of course – I got a few extra books for back ground reading, and you're in _Modern Magical History _ and _The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts _and _Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century." _

"Am I?" Harry asked.

"You didn't know?" Kyna asked, curious.

"Goodness, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," Hermione added, "Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad… Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon."

It didn't take long until Kyna had to excuse herself to go change into her robes. Hermione decided to follow her, and she wouldn't shut up.

They took a visit to the conductor to ask how much time the trip would last. Kyna didn't care, but she was curious about Hogwarts, and the Conductor seemed to be a good person to ask.

"No, the train cannot be seen by muggles, and no, I don't know how." was his final answer before shooing Kyna and Hermione off.

The other students were being quite loud and childish in the corridors, so Hermione and Kyna retreated to one of the compartments. As it turned out, they had chosen Ron's.

"What has been going on?" Kyna asked when she saw all the sweets thrown over the floor. Ron leaned over to pick something up – probably a rat.

"I think he's been knocked out," Ron told Harry, ignoring Kyna completely. "No – I don't believe it – he's gone back to sleep." He appeared to be holding something, no doubt his rat.

"Are you even allowed to bring a rat?" Kyna asked, trying to think back. Ron shrugged before turning back to Harry. Kyna listened to them talk, but eventually started to get a bit restless. Her thoughts wandered, first to the poem, then to the owl fluttering inside a cage. No doubt it belonged to Harry; she didn't think Ron owned an owl.

"Can we help you with something?" Ron asked the two girls, waking Kyna up from her thoughts.

"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, we've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!" Hermione answered.

"Scabbers has been fighting, not us," Ron answered, scowling. "Would you mind leaving while we change?"

'All right – we only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," Hermione replied in a sniffy voice. "And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?"

Kyna could feel Ron's glare follow them as they left the compartment. The girls retreated to where Kyna's luggage was, and she showed some of her drawings with Hermione.

The cold, night air made Kyna shiver as the students stepped out onto a tiny platform. She took in the scene. Her eyes scanned her surroundings, but the darkness kept her from seeing it. She didn't mind the dark; it was the not knowing where she was that bothered her. She relaxed slightly when a lamp appeared, along with a giant man. Kyna had never seen the man before, but she took her best guess at who he was. Hagrid, the gamekeeper, who always took the first years to Hogwarts.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" He called.

Kyna made her way over to Hagrid, taking in his large size as she followed him down a narrow path. Judging from the darkness, Kyna guessed they were moving through a thick forest.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called to the first years, "Jus' round this bend here."

The narrow path had opened onto the edge of a giant, black lake. On top of high mountain, on the other side of the lake, stood Hogwarts. Kyna gasped. She'd seen pictures, but the castle was ten times as magnificent in real life than in any representation of it.

"No more'n five to a boat!" Hagrid told the group, most of which were still in awe. Kyna climbed in with Neville and Hermione into the same boat Ron and Harry occupied.

"Everyone in?" Hagrid called, sitting in a boat by himself. "Right then – FORWARD!"

The boats moved off in sync, floating across the peaceful lake. Nobody talked; all eyes were on Hogwarts. Kyna imagined trying to draw the castle, but somewhere in the back of her mind, a thought formed. _The castle's secret… _that castle definitely could hold a lot of secrets.

"Head's down!" Hagrid yelled, and the first years obeyed. The boats glided through a dark tunnel, which had been hidden by a curtain of ivy, until they reach what appeared to be an underground harbor. As they climbed out, Hagrid checked the boats.

"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" He called.

"Trevor!" Exclaimed Neville, holding out his hands. The toad safely with its owner, the first years scrambled up a passageway that was lit only by Hagrid's lamp. As they reached the castle, the rocks smoothed out into damp grass. They walked a flight of stone steps up to the huge, oak door.

"Every here? You there, still got yer toad?" Hagrid asked, before knocking three times on the castle's front door. Almost immediately, the door opened. Kyna recognized the woman that stood there, with her black hair and emerald-green robes. She was Professor McGonagall, the Transfigurations teacher. Kyna had met her before; her dad had held meetings with Hogwarts' teachers and often Kyna was introduced to them.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid explained.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." She responded. She pulled the door wider. The entrance hall had to be the biggest hallway Kyna had ever seen. Lighting the hall, flaming torches decorated the stone walls. Kyna couldn't make out the ceiling, it was too high, and her eyes were immediately drawn to the marvelous marble staircase facing the students.

Professor McGonagall led them across the stone floor, voices echoing from where the rest of the school feasted. The first years were ushered into a small, empty chamber off the hall.

"Welcome, to Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall started, "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, slip in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn you house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." Her eyes lingered first on Neville's cloak, then on Ron's smudged nose.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," Professor McGonagall stated, "Please wait quietly." She turned around and left the chamber.

"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" Somebody asked.

"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking." Ron replied. Everybody seemed equally terrified. Kyna tried to force a smile down, but inside she was laughing. Her dad had told her exactly how the Sorting works, so she wasn't quite as scared as the others.

Several people screamed, and Kyna whirled around to see what was happening. Gasps spread throughout the room. Ghosts, about twenty of them, and come through the back wall. They were arguing.

"Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance – " one of them said.

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost – I say, what are you all doing here?" One of the ghosts, who wore a ruff and tights, had been the first to notice the group of students.

"New students!" the fat Friar exclaimed, smiling. "About to be Sorted, I suppose? Hope to see you in Hufflepuff! My old house, you know."

"Move along now," a sharp voice interrupted. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." Professor McGonagall had walked in, and the ghosts left when they saw who it was.

"Now, form a line," the Professor commanded, "and follow me." The first years obeyed, and Kyna fell behind Ron and in front of Neville.

Great didn't do the Great Hall justice. The ceiling, Kyna knew, was bewitched to look like the sky. It was the first thing she looked at as she entered, but it definitely wasn't the grandest. Candles, thousands of them, floated in midair over four long tables – one for each house, Kyna assumed. The silverware, plates, and goblets glittered, all of it gold. A fifth long table was at the top of the hall, and that's where the teachers sat. Professor McGonagall led the first years up there, and the line stopped so that the first years face the other students and the teachers sat behind them. Professor McGonagall silently placed a stool, followed by a hat, in front of the first years. The hat was patched up and dirty, but Kyna knew what it was.

The Sorting Hat.

Kyna had to be the only first year that wasn't surprised when the hat twitched, and a rip opened near the brim. The hat began to sing:

_"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_

_ But don't judge on what you see_

_ I'll eat myself if you can find_

_ A smarter hat than me. _

_ You can keep your bowlers black,_

_ Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_ For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_ And I can cap them all._

_ There's nothing hidden in you head_

_ The sorting Hat can't see,_

_ So try me on and I will tell you_

_ Where you ought to be._

_ You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_ Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_ Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

_ Set Gryffindors apart; _

_ You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_ Where they are just and loyal,_

_ Those patient Hugglepuffs are true_

_ And unafraid of toil;_

_ Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_ If you've a ready mind_

_ Where those of wit and learning_

_ Will always find their kind; _

_ Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_ You'll make your real friends_

_ Those cunning folk use any means_

_ To achieve their end_

_ So put me on! Don't be afraid! _

_ And don't get in a flap! _

_ You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_ For I'm a Thinking Cap!" _

Applause echoed off of the walls as the hat finished its songs. Professor McGonagall stepped forward as the applause died, now with a long rool of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she announced, "Abbott, Hannah!"

The first two fell into Hufflepuff, and Kyna felt like she needed to applaud when "Boot, Terry" became the first new Ravenclaw. Another Ravenclaw, then the first Gryffindor and Slytherin.

"Granger, Hermione!" Hermione could barely contained her excitement.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Neville tripped on his way to the stool. Neville sat there for a moment before the hat yelled "GRYFFINDOR!" Draco Malfoy had to be sorted the fastest. Kyna couldn't help but agree more. He was definitely a Slytherin, all the way to the way he swaggered forward when his name was called.

"Potter, Harry!" Whispering broke out, and Kyna knew Harry wasn't the only one who was going to be whispered about. She got more irritated at the whispers as time passed, until "GRYFFINDOR!" echoed across the hall. The respective table erupted in cheers.

"Ravenclaw, Kyna!" Kyna walked forward as more whispers broke out. She walked forward, determined not to look catty in her lack of fear. The Sorting Hat was placed on her head.

"Ah, let's see. Very wise for your age, and a descendent of Rowena Ravenclaw herself! But, let's see, your mom… yeah, there's only one place for you. And it's –"

Kyna had been expecting Ravenclaw, but the name that echoed off of the walls, loud in a stunned silence, wasn't Ravenclaw.

It was Gryffindor.


	4. Chapter 3: The First Month

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Percy Jackson and the Olympians. All rights go to the proper owners. **

**Chapter Three: The First Month**

Kyna remembered one of her dad's letters saying that the Great Hall was only quiet when it is empty. That moment proved his statement wrong. Thousands of eyes were turned on Kyna, yet the hall remained silent.

"Expecting Ravenclaw, were you?" The hat spoke in her mind, "that would be the normal choice, yes, but this is definitely not a normal case." Kyna tried to process that as she stood up, taking her hat off and placing it on the stool. Kyna walked in a trance to the Gryffindor table. She found an empty seat next to Hermione, oblivious to the growing applause. _Gryffindor. _She never would have guessed that she would end up in Gryffindor; it never even occurred to her that she wouldn't end up in Ravenclaw. _At least I'm not in Slytherin, _Kyna tried telling herself. She felt shocked, and a little upset, that she wasn't in Ravenclaw.

Those feelings, however, faded away when one of the professors stood up. Professor Dumbledore, who Kyna had met on several occasions, started his speech.

"Welcome!" he began. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you." He sat back down to applause. The dishes filled up with food – the whole table dug in hungrily. Any thoughts about being placed into Gryffindor faded from Kyna's mind as she devoured her meal. She listened as the other students talked, not wanting to stop eating long enough to participate. It wasn't until the dessert disappeared that the hall became quiet as Professor Dumbledore stood up.

"Ahem – just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." He glanced in the Weasley twins' direction.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. Finally, I must tell you that, this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death." A few first-years let out a nervous laugh. "And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" Professor Dumbledore flicked his wand; a golden ribbon, fairly long, came out the end of it. The ribbon ascended until it floated high above the tables before twisted into words.

"Everyone pick their favorite tune," Dumbledore instructed, "and off we go!"

Everybody in the school sung, with their voices ringing against each other, "_Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,_

_Teach us something please_

_ Whether we be old and bald_

_ Or young with scabby knees,_

_ Our heads could with filling_

_ With some interesting stuff,_

_ For now they're bare and full of air_

_ Dead flies and bits of fluff,_

_ So teach us things worth knowing,_

_ Bring back what we've forgot,_

_ Just do your best, we'll do the rest,_

_ And learn until our brains all rot." _

The different tunes and timings annoyed Kyna, though nobody else seemed to notice. The last to finish were the Weasley twins, who had chosen a slow funeral march.

"Ah, music," Professor Dumbledore stated, "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!" The Gryffindors followed Percy through the chaos of the Great Hall and out onto the marble staircase. Most of the students looked sleepy, but Kyna felt wide awake. Alert, she glanced every which way. She marveled at the art that had been put into every tiny detail in Hogwarts.

As she distracted as she was, she noticed just in time to keep from running into Neville as the crowd came to a sudden stop. A cluster of canes floated in midair, and when Percy stepped forward they soared towards him.

"Peeves," Percy whispered, "A poltergeist." Raising his voice, he yelled, "Peeves! Show yourself!" This was followed by a rude sound, like the air coming out of a balloon. "Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?"

A pop came first, followed by a little man appearing, floating in midair with his legs crossed.

"Ooooooooh!" He stated, smiling mischievously "Ickle Firsties! What fun!" He swooped down at them.

"Go away, Peeves, or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!" Percy shouted. Peeves replied by sticking his tongue out and vanishing, dropping the walking sticks on Neville.

"You want to watch out for Peeves," Percy told them as the continued walking, "The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are." They had reached the end of the corridor, and had come face-to-face with a woman in a pink silk dress.

"Password?" She asked.

"Caput Draconis," Percy replied. The portrait swung forward, exposing a round hole in the wall. Once inside they found themselves in the cozy Gryffindor common room. Percy directed the girls into one room and the boys into another. Kyna walked up to her dormitory, plopped down on her bed, and fell asleep.

Kyna's dad often talked highly about Hogwarts. He had been the perfect Ravenclaw student; besides being Head Boy, he often claimed his popularity came from mentoring younger students. He never turned down a chance to teach, and he never accepted money for doing it. Even when he received the official title last year, he still turned down pay.

In a lot of the older pictures of Kyna's dad, his hair was always cut neat and tidy. It wasn't until Kyna's mom had told him to leave it long that he started leaving it shaggy. It came down to his chin now, no longer, and wasn't always perfectly combed. It was one of the things that showed he wasn't all studying and teaching, along with his interest in Quidditch and his love in music. He also tended to forget to buy anything not found in a bookstore or grocery store, which caused Kyna to learn how to improvise when it came to art supplies.

With a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts, the artist in Kyna was amazed. She didn't get around any easier than the other students, though she found the tricks of Hogwarts fascinating instead of infuriating.

She didn't tune out History of Magic any less than the other students, finding anything she hadn't read completely boring and useless, along with most of the facts she did know. Her favorite, by far, was charms. Transfiguration was fun, too. .

Even so, she wished she could send a letter to her dad, and when the owls flew in at breakfast, to receive a piece of paper with her dad's neat, tiny handwriting covering it. Mrs. Black sent Kyna a note on Friday, asking her how things were going. The Blacks were spread out in three different houses –Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor – so Mrs. Black told Kyna not to worry about ending in Gryffindor. Grace, unfortunately, didn't in up in Gryffindor with Kyna, but in Hufflepuff.

She anxiously waited for news on her father, but nothing came. Often she stayed behind after class to ask the professor about him, but she never received a straight answer. As she thought about, she realized that there could only be two reasons: something bad had happened that nobody wanted her to know about, or they themselves didn't know. It wasn't as if she expected a complicated answer. She never even received a "he's doing fine". It didn't just annoy her; it worried her.

Kyna attempted to distract herself with her lessons, but with no success. She focused best in the library, so she spent her free time there. She discovered a nice little space in the back of the library, where nobody disturbed her.


End file.
